Governor Inuwa Yahaya has granted clemency to 39 inmates serving various jail terms in Gombe.

Mr Yahaya announced this in a statewide broadcast on Monday in Gombe as part of activities to mark the New Year.

He stated that the gesture was made in the spirit of the New Year and to give the inmates the opportunity to change into better people.

“In the spirit of the new year, and based on the recommendation of the State Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy, I have granted clemency to 39 convicted inmates in our custodial centres.

“Out of which 26 inmates will be granted unconditional pardon, while the remaining 13 have their sentences commuted to shorter periods. It is our hope that the beneficiaries will turn a new leaf and embrace this opportunity for a fresh start,” Mr Yahaya explained.

While wishing all residents a prosperous 2024, the governor urged them to carry forward the lessons of 2023 and embrace the new year with renewed hope, determination, and a common sense of purpose.

“In 2024, our focus will be on building a Gombe that leaves no one behind, as articulated in our recently passed 2024 budget christened ‘Budget of Continuity and Consolidation’,” said the Gombe governor.

(NAN)